Things to do in Northeast Vietnam
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Green Mango
For inventive, creative cuisine this is the restaurant of choice in Cat Ba Town. There’s an incredibly tempting menu that includes lamb shank, smoked duck and blackened barramundi (160,000d) as well as more inexpensive pasta dishes. It is also a great venue for a cocktail or three, either in the lounge bar–style interior or outside on the terrace.
reviewed
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Handspan Adventure Travel
If you’re really keen on kayaking in Halong Bay, contact specialist operator Handspan Adventure Travel, which runs professionally organised trips, has qualified guides and operates two beach camps; trips start from US$159.
reviewed
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BKK
The card proclaims ‘trendy Thai restaurant’ and it’s damn right. A lot of thought has gone into the dining experience here, and whether you eat inside the lovely, carefully restored old townhouse or outside on the little front patio, it’s the perfect setting for a memorable meal. Authentic Thai dishes are beautifully prepared and presented – try the lab moo or pepper squid – and there are good vegie options too.
reviewed
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Xuan Hong
Xuan Hong is a 'floating' seafood restaurant, a fish-farm-cum-restaurant at Ben Beo Pier, where you can get up close and personal with your dinner first. Select a live victim or two from the pen and they’ll be grilled, fried or steamed for your table in no time. Prices simply go by weight and type of seafood; you can eat your fill of a selection of fish for around 100,000d per person.
reviewed
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Huu Dung Restaurant
This place has always served up wholesome food, but it's best to eat early, as the Lan Song Xanh Disco is right across the road and cranks up the volume from 20:00 or so. The house special is whole steamed fish with lashings of garlic and soy sauce.
reviewed
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Hoang Y
The extensive menu at this well-run restaurant, run by the highly talkative chef-patron Mr Long, includes a few Western treats (including shakes and pancakes) and some vegie choices, but it’s the fresh seafood that really stands out.
reviewed
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Cat Ba National Park
This accessible national park is home to 32 types of mammals – langurs and macaques, wild boar, deer, civets, several species of squirrel including the giant black squirrel – and more than 70 species of birds, including hawks, hornbills and cuckoos. The golden-headed langur is officially the world’s most endangered primate with around 65 remaining, most in this park. Cat Ba lies on a major migration route for waterfowl, which feed and roost on the beaches in the mangrove forests. Over a thousand species of plants have been recorded here, including 118 trees and 160 plants with medicinal value. The park is also home to the Cay Kim Gao tree. In ancient days, kings and…
reviewed
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Tam Thanh and Nhi Thanh Caves
There are two large and beautiful caves in the suburbs of Lang Son. Both are illuminated, which makes for easy exploration, and have Buddhist altars inside. Tam Thanh Cave is vast and seductive. There’s an internal pool and a viewing point or natural ‘window’ offering a sweeping view of the surrounding rice fields. Just a few hundred metres up a stone staircase are the ruins of the Mac Dynasty Citadel. It’s a lovely, deserted spot, with stunning views across the countryside. The Nhi Thanh Cave entrance has a series of carved poems written by the cave’s discoverer, a soldier called Ngo Thi San, in the 18th century. There’s also a carved stone plaque commemorating…
reviewed
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Cat Ba National Park
The accessible Cat Ba National Park is home to 32 types of mammals - including langurs, wild boar, deer, squirrels and hedgehogs - and more than 70 species of birds have been sighted, including hawks, hornbills and cuckoos. The golden headed langur is officially the world's most endangered primate with just 60 left in the park. Cat Ba lies on a major migration route for waterfowl, which feed and roost on the beaches in the mangrove forests.
There are 745 species of plants recorded on Cat Ba, including 118 timber species and 160 plants with medicinal value. The park is also home to a species of tree called Cay Kim Gao. In ancient days, kings and nobles would eat only with…
reviewed
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Do Son Beach
Do Son Beach, 21km southeast of central Haiphong, is a honky-tonk seaside resort that is popular with Vietnamese for karaoke and massage. The 4km-long promontory ends with a string of islets, and the peninsula’s nine hills are known as Cuu Long Son (Nine Dragons).
There are plenty of colourful fishing boats on the water and a long promenade, but the beaches are disappointingly small and disappear completely at high tide. The final part of the peninsula, lined with pine trees and small hotels is the most attractive stretch of beach. This is also where you’ll find (Vietnam’s first) casino, the Doson Resort Hotel; www.dosonresorthotel.com.vn), which is open to…
reviewed
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Hospital Cave
This oozes historical significance, as it served both as a secret, bomb-proof hospital during the American War and as a safe house for VC leaders. Built between 1963 and 1965 (with assistance from China), this incredibly well-constructed three-storey feat of engineering was in constant use until 1975. A guide (most know a few words of English) will show you around the 17 rooms, point out the old operating theatre and take you to the huge natural cavern which was used as a cinema (and even had its own small swimming pool). The cave is about 10km north of Cat Ba Town on the road to the national park entrance.
reviewed
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Nui Coc Reservoir
A scenic spot popular with locals, Nui Coc Reservoir is 25km west of Thai Nguyen. It’s a pretty stretch of water and a major drawcard for Hanoi residents looking to get away from it all. On summer weekends it can get particularly crowded. A one-hour, circular motorboat tour of the lake is the thing to do and costs about 250,000d. You can use the water park’s swimming pool for 20,000d, and also rent rowboats. It could be worth a visit if you’re travelling to Ba Be National Park, with your own wheels, and fancy a dip.
reviewed
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Con Son Pagoda Complex
Con Son was home to Nguyen Trai (1380–1442), the famed Vietnamese poet, writer and general. Nguyen Trai assisted Emperor Le Loi in his successful battle against the Chinese Ming dynasty in the 15th century. Con Son pagoda complex has a temple honouring Nguyen Trai atop a nearby mountain. It’s a 600-step climb to reach it – a serious workout. Alternatively, take the loop walk past a spring, heading up through pine forests, and return down the steps.
reviewed
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Pilsner Urquell
A modern take on a traditional beer hall, this place has huge glass windows that look down over the lake. The menu has plenty of tempting plates from Central Europe including Czech sausages and German-style stewed pork, plus Vietnamese dishes. It doub les as a microbrewery with gorgeous dark or gold beer on tap.
reviewed
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M42
Popular, stylish cafe on happening P Minh Khai with a great street terrace for people-watching and soaking up the downtown Haiphong vibe. Savour one of the fresh juices, a shake, or delve straight into the long cocktail list. There’s live music some evenings, wi-fi and good Vietnamese food available too.
reviewed
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Bai Tu Long National Park
There’s more to northeastern Vietnam than Halong Bay. The sinking limestone plateau, which gave birth to the bay’s spectacular islands, continues for some 100km to the Chinese border. The area immediately northeast of Halong Bay is part of Bai Tu Long National Park.
reviewed
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Phone Box
This tiny little bar is run by a musician and is a great place for a relaxed drink. There’s live music (usually an acoustic guitarist or jazz artist) on Mondays and Fridays, or expect good tunes at other times from the owner’s extensive vinyl collection.
reviewed
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Cat Ba Water Park Resort
Of course it has a swimming pool - after all it's a water park. But unlike most water parks, it also offers smart rooms for those that want to linger at Cat Co 1. It's a better bet during the week or low season, as the water park draws huge crowds on summer weekends.
reviewed
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New Dynasty Restaurant
The most famous place in town, this slightly tacky bar-restaurant complex sits on a little peninsula that juts into the lake and has tables facing the water. Everyone is here for the steamboats, but there’s also a draught-beer emporium.
reviewed
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Thanh Hai
Thanh Hai is popular, with tanks and bowls full of live crab, squid, grouper, tiger prawns and huge clams. Pick your victim (s) and you’re charged per kilo; the prices are on the board.
reviewed
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Trung Tau Market
You’ll find cheap food stalls near the Trung Tau market, and if you really want to taste the local delicacy, there’s a line of late-night tripe stalls opposite the Hoanh Anh Hotel.
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Coffee Pho
Cao Bang also has some good cafes. Coffee Pho is a stylish little place with pavement tables that serves good Vietnamese coffee, cappuccino, juices and beer plus a snack or two.
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Asia Restaurant
A clean, attractive place that’s geared to travellers’ tastes, with good Vietnamese food and a smattering of Western favourites. The owner speaks excellent German and pretty good English.
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Toan Huong
A simple place with friendly staff, a street terrace and an extensive menu (in English) that has a bit of everything: Western breakfasts, salads, fresh seafood and imported wine.
reviewed
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Night Market
Lang Son’s huge night market is a credit cruncher’s delight, with hundreds of stalls selling cheapo electrical goods and fake clothes by ‘Adides’ and ‘Versache’.
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